NPR culture editor Rose Friedman dies at 38 : NPR

Friedman was in her early 20s when she landed her first position as an editorial assistant at NPR. She became an editor and reporter, and a co-creator of the annual Books We Love reading guide.

Beth Novey/NPR

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Beth Novey/NPR

NPR has lost one of its finest journalists.

For 15 years, Rose Friedman was an editor and reporter who helped shape NPR’s arts and cultural coverage. She was one of the co-creators of the popular Books We Love reading guide and, most recently, helped lead NPR’s America 250 series.

Friedman died at home, of cancer, in New York City on Sept. 17 at the age of 38.

Rose Friedman was an editor to the end. She said she wanted the second line of her obituary to acknowledge her role as a shop steward for SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents NPR’s editorial workers. She wanted the line to say that her “proudest achievement” was helping convince NPR to increase its paid parental leave.

Not the second line but still pretty high up in the story. Rose would understand.

Rose Friedman was in her early 20s when she landed her first position as an editorial assistant at NPR Books. She became deeply sourced in the publishing industry and seemed to have read everything.

She edited book reviews and features such as This Week’s Must Read. She wrote numerous appreciations of authors, including Herman Wouk and the legendary editor Sonny Mehta.

For the Book Concierge, which was later renamed Books We Love, Rose helped pore over hundreds of titles nominated by NPR staff and critics, and whittle them down into a robust reader’s guide.

“She was voracious,” said novelist Meg Wolitzer, who worked with Rose on a number of NPR reviews and features. “What a gifted, delightful, brilliant, deeply kind person. And I would say a true enthusiast. I got so much working with Rose.”

Even as a young staffer in the NPR newsroom, Rose had an old school journalist’s sensibility. She was endlessly curious but always skeptical. She strived for clarity and depth but also humor and surprise.

Food was one of her favorite subjects. The first thing we hear her say in her profile of chef Bill Buford: “I have to tell you — this does not smell very good.”

For many years Rose was my editor. When I once pitched her a story on an artist who was trending, Rose scoffed, “Isn’t she just for Instagram?”

She always pushed back on “hot takes” and stories that she didn’t think had substance. But sometimes that pushback was intended to make reporters work harder. Not kill an idea altogether.